Head of Customer Identity and Authentication

Description

Head of Customer Identity and Authentication

Location: This role will require a hybrid work schedule 4 days on-site, 1 remote  in Johnston RI or Westwood MA with 

Department: Digital Identity Services

Reports To: Chief Security Engineer

Type: Full-Time, Executive Level

Overview

We are seeking a visionary and execution-focused Head of Customer Identity and Authentication to lead the transformation of how customers interact with our digital and non-digital banking assets. This critical product leadership role will drive innovation, design, and operational excellence in identity and authentication experiences across our financial services ecosystem. The ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker with deep expertise in customer identity, authentication technologies, fraud prevention, and user experience. You will collaborate closely with business, operations, and technology leaders to deliver secure, seamless, and customer-centric solutions that enhance trust, reduce friction, and mitigate fraud.

Key Responsibilities

Product Leadership & Strategy

- Define and execute the vision, strategy, and roadmap for customer identity and authentication across all channels.

- Lead cross-functional teams to deliver innovative solutions that balance security, usability, and regulatory compliance.

- Champion customer-centric design principles to ensure intuitive and frictionless authentication experiences.

Innovation & Design

- Drive the adoption of modern identity technologies (e.g., biometrics, passkeys, behavioral analytics, decentralized identity).

- Evaluate and implement emerging authentication methods to improve security and user experience.

- Partner with UX/UI teams to design scalable, inclusive, and accessible identity flows.

Operational Excellence

- Oversee the performance, reliability, and scalability of identity and authentication systems.

- Establish KPIs and metrics to monitor system health, customer satisfaction, and fraud reduction.

- Collaborate with fraud, risk, and compliance teams to ensure alignment with regulatory requirements.

- Lead and evolve agile delivery pods supporting enterprise-wide digital identity initiatives

Stakeholder Collaboration

- Work closely with business units to understand customer needs and pain points.

- Partner with technology leaders to ensure seamless integration of identity solutions into platforms and services.

- Engage with operations teams to support customer service and issue resolution related to identity and access.

- Act as a change agent driving awareness, documentation, and training across stakeholder groups.

Qualifications

- 10+ years of experience in product management, customer identity and access management (CIAM), or digital security in financial services or a related industry.

- Proven track record of leading large-scale identity and authentication initiatives.

- Deep understanding of authentication protocols (e.g., OAuth, SAML, FIDO), fraud detection, and regulatory frameworks (e.g., KYC, AML, GDPR).

- Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

- Strong Product experience in modern SDLC and API integration landscapes.

- Experience in driving agile product development and cross-functional team leadership.

- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Business, or related field; advanced degree preferred.

Preferred Skills

- Experience with customer identity platforms (e.g., ForgeRock, Okta, Ping Identity).

- Familiarity with AI/ML applications in fraud detection and behavioral authentication.

- Knowledge of customer journey mapping and digital transformation strategies.

- Ability to translate complex technical concepts into business value.

Why Join Us?

This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of customer trust and security in financial services. You’ll be at the forefront of innovation, working with passionate teams to redefine how customers engage with our products and services.

Pay Transparency

The salary range for this position is $175,000 - $265,000 per year plus an opportunity to earn an annual discretionary bonus. Actual pay is based on various factors including but not limited to the work location, and relevant skills and experience.  

We offer competitive pay, comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits, maternity/paternity leave, flexible work arrangements, education reimbursement, wellness programs and more. Note, Citizens’ paid time off policy exceeds the mandatory, paid sick or paid time-away policy of very local and state jurisdiction in the United States. For an overview of our benefits, visit https://jobs.citizensbank.com/benefits.

#LI-Citizens1

Some job boards have started using jobseeker-reported data to estimate salary ranges for roles. If you apply and qualify for this role, a recruiter will discuss accurate pay guidance.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Citizens, its parent, subsidiaries, and related companies (Citizens) provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all colleagues and applicants for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, citizenship, physical or mental disability, perceived disability or history or record of a disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, genetic characteristic, marital or domestic partner status, victim of domestic violence, family status/parenthood, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, pregnancy/childbirth/lactation, colleague’s or a dependent’s reproductive health decision making, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by federal, state and/or local laws. At Citizens, we are committed to fostering an inclusive culture that enables all colleagues to bring their best selves to work every day and everyone is expected to be treated with respect and professionalism. Employment decisions are based solely on merit, qualifications, performance and capability.